Geographical Areas Of Europe Research Articles

Nutritional Care Practices in Geriatric Rehabilitation Facilities across Europe: A Cross-Sectional Study.

In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire focused on nutritional care practices in GR was distributed across experts in EUGMS member countries. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. In total, 109 respondents working in 25 European countries participated, and the results showed that not all GR patients were screened and treated for malnutrition, and not all participants used (inter)national guidelines when performing nutritional care. The results also showed variations across European geographical areas related to screening and treatment of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty. Even though the participants underlined the importance of dedicating time to nutritional care, they experienced barriers in its implementation, which were mostly due to a lack of resources. As malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty are often present in patients admitted to GR, in addition to being interrelated, it is recommended to develop an integrated approach to screening and treatment of all three clinical problems.

Lessons Learned from Positive Energy District (PED) Projects: Cataloguing and Analysing Technology Solutions in Different Geographical Areas in Europe

A Positive Energy District (PED) is a portion of urban area with defined boundaries that can produce energy in excess of its own consumption. The aim of this study is to analyse design variations among the six projects (12 case studies) of PED belonging to the European Smart Cities and Communities programme. Thus, it will be possible to identify the reasons behind the energy choices related to generation, storage and distribution that appear in the different geographical areas. To achieve this, different data were collected by consulting official documents and creating questionnaires that were communicated with the project representatives. Thus, the result of this study is a catalogue of the energy system solutions adopted in the studied PEDs with a critical analysis of the different motivations behind them in order to outline general trends in the geographical areas with similar characteristics. In conclusion, this study defined which technological choices are the most common in territories with similar profiles and how divergent those with different profiles are. Furthermore, applied to a large catalogue of PED, the methodology identified would make it possible to create different operating models for different territorial types and urban settlements.

The prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) at testing centers in Belgium, Germany, Spain, and the UK using the cobas TV/MG molecular assay

Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) can lead to long-term sequelae in males and females; however, global prevalence data vary between geographical regions, as these sexually transmitted infections are not included in routine screening. The objective of this study was to use the cobas® TV/MG assay to assess the point prevalence of TV and MG in specimens from men and women over a broad European geographical area. Urine, vaginal, endocervical, and rectal samples were collected from patients aged ≥ 18 years receiving Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) screening as per local standard of care at sites in Belgium, Germany, Spain, and the UK (Wales). Remnant samples were assessed using the cobas TV/MG assay. Analysis of 2795 samples showed that MG prevalence varied slightly across female sample types (range: 1.7–5.8%; p = 0.0042). MG prevalence was higher in male rectal samples (12.5%) than in male urine samples (3.9%; p < 0.0001). TV prevalence was low in male (0.8%; 12/1535) and female (1.3%; 16/1260) samples across all sites. Co-infection of TV/MG with CT or NG was 10.0% (19/190) and 9.6% (7/73), respectively, in both male and female samples. MG and TV prevalence rates were comparable to the published literature in Europe. MG prevalence was highest in male rectal samples; as rectal testing is an off-label use of the cobas TV/MG assay, the clinical utility of this assay for rectal testing should be further investigated.

Partnership of schools and civil society organisations to support education of students of varied linguistic backgrounds—The situation in the Czech Republic, Italy and Spain

AbstractThis article reports on research examining the intensity and forms of partnership between civil society organisations (particularly non‐profit non‐governmental organisations with a focus on students with a different mother tongue) and schools in three European geographical areas, answering three research questions: (1) What services do non‐profits offer for teachers? (2) How do non‐profits see the current cooperation? (3) Do teachers know about the existence of non‐profits in this area and are they interested in such cooperation? A mixed methods research approach was used. A questionnaire was used for eliciting responses from 34 non‐profit organisations (nine in Czech Republic, nineteen in Spain, six in Italy); and fifteen teachers (five for each country) were interviewed. The findings reveal a great potential of non‐profit organisations as partners in education for covering important themes from intercultural education. All interviewed teachers were in favour of cooperating with the non‐profit sector even though most had never collaborated with non‐profits. Several teachers had experienced difficulties in teaching students of varied linguistic backgrounds. Non‐profits acknowledged that collaboration with teachers and schools had not been ideal and suggested strategies which might empower such partnerships.

Morphological, molecular and phylogenetic characterization of Leptopsylla segnis and Leptopsylla taschenbergi (Siphonaptera)

AbstractThe taxonomic status of Leptopsyllidae family has remained controversial over the years. Thus, some entomologists placed this group of fleas within Ceratophyllidae family, considering it at level of Leptopsyllinae subfamily or even appearing as a paraphyletic group within Siphonaptera phylogeny. This fact is emphasized by the lack of molecular and phylogenetic data of Leptopsyllidae taxa available in public databases. The aim of this study was to carry out a comparative morphological, phylogenetic and molecular study of two species of Leptopsylla genus with zoonotic relevance (Leptopsylla segnis and Leptopsylla taschenbergi) isolated from rodents collected from different geographical areas of Europe in order to molecularly characterize both taxa and to establish their taxonomic and phylogenetic status within Leptopsyllidae family. For this purpose, we have analysed and compared several morphological traits between L. segnis and L. taschenbergi and compared five different molecular markers (ITS2, EF1‐α, cox1, cox2 and cytb) among these both species and others belonging to Leptopsyllidae family. Based on the morphological results, we found a phenotypic plasticity phenomenon in one female specimen showing morphological characters of L. segnis but molecular sequences distinctive for L. taschenbergi. Furthermore, the molecular and phylogenetic analysis could easily discriminate among both species providing, by the first time, a monophyletic origin of Leptopsyllidae family. Lastly, with this work, we demonstrate one more time, the usefulness of the combination of mitochondrial and nuclear markers to solve taxonomic and phylogenetic issues within Siphonaptera field by the use of concatenated dataset.

Adaptive business arrangements and the creation of social capital: Towards small‐scale fisheries resilience in different European geographical areas

AbstractEuropean small‐scale fisheries are confronted with several challenges, notably a decrease in the number of people engaged in capture fishing, growing competition from less expensive extra‐European Union markets, rising operational costs, strict regulations and the depletion of fishing stocks. Many small‐scale fishers must adapt to change to maintain or increase their income using different business strategies. In this respect, we argue that new and diversified institutional arrangements combined with building social capital can help reach long‐term economic sustainability for small‐scale fisheries businesses, as well as the social‐ecological resilience of coastal areas. In order to understand and analyse the multiplicity of strategies applied by small‐scale fishers–including expansion towards non–productivist activities, this article examines the role of new institutional arrangements based on small‐scale, traditional, quality‐orientated, multifunctional business strategies and non‐fishing activities. Using a case‐study approach, we analyse–in three different European fishery contexts (Greece, Italy and the UK)–how the interplay between building adaptive arrangements and the creation of social capital in selected small‐scale fisheries provides relevant prerequisites for resilience.

Adaptive business arrangements and the creation of social capital: Towards small-scale fisheries resilience in different European geographical areas

Adaptive business arrangements and the creation of social capital: Towards small-scale fisheries resilience in different European geographical areas

Similarities and Differences in the European Entrepreneurial Activities

Entrepreneurship is a key activity in the economy as it influences in the economic performance by creating new products, new solutions, new methods, new processes and new jobs. High levels entrepreneurship in economies have a positive impact on productivity and competitiveness. According to data from Eurostat (2018), in 2018 in Europe, 3.3 million jobs were created thanks to the 2.5 million companies that were created. Moreover, in 2018, there were a total of 25.3 million active enterprises employing a total of 131 million people. Some of the most relevant entrepreneurial hotpots in Europe are Estonia, Sweden, Latvia and the Netherlands (World Economic Forum, 2017). The main objective of this work is to identify and compare the different European geographical areas and evaluate the characteristics and variables that promote entrepreneurship from the experts' point of view. The GEM database was utilized to extract data for analysis in this research. The results obtained show differences between the Northern and Southern countries for the two analysis perspectives used.

Real-World Mobility and Environmental Data for the Assessment of In-Vehicle Battery Capacity Fade

This work develops scenario-based analyses for predicting in-vehicle performance degradation of automotive traction batteries. It combines recent capacity performance-based models of NCM-LMO Li-ion (Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide—Lithium Manganese Oxide) variant batteries with real-world vehicle driving data from different geographical areas of Europe. The analysis addresses different battery and vehicle architectures (PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) and BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles)) combined with different recharging strategies and mobility patterns and environmental temperatures. The mobility pattern datasets used in this analysis refer to six European cities and include up to 508,609 private vehicles, corresponding to 1.78 billion GPS records, 9.1 million trips and parking events and a total driven distance of 106.1 million kilometers. The results show the effect that the environmental temperature, the recharging power, and the driven kilometers have on the calendar and cycling aging. The majority of the combinations of the considered vehicle architectures and recharge strategies do not lead to battery capacity drop below 80% of its nominal value in less than five calendar years for a usage profile of up to 1000 km/month.

Real-life clinical practice of genetic counselling and testing in adult patients with cardiomyopathies: Insight from the ESC EORP Cardiomyopathy Registry

Cardiomyopathies comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases, often of genetic origin. Genetic counselling and testing are recommended but the practices in real-life have not been evaluated. We assessed the current practice of genetic counselling and testing in the prospective ESC EORP cardiomyopathy registry. 3208 adult patients from sixty-nine centres in 18 countries were enrolled. Genetic counselling was performed in 60.8% of all patients (75.4% in hypertrophic (HCM), 39.2% in dilated (DCM), 70.8% in arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC) and 49.2% in restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), P < 0.001). Comparing European geographical areas, genetic counselling was performed from 42.4% to 83.3% ( P < 0.001). It was provided by a cardiologist (85.3%), geneticist (15.1%), genetic counsellor (11.3%), or a nurse (7.5%), ( P < 0.001). Genetic testing was performed in 37.3% of all patients (48.8% in HCM, 18.6% in DCM, 55.6% % in ARVC and 43.6% in RCM, P < 0.001). Index patients with genetic testing were younger at diagnosis, had more familial disease, family history of sudden cardiac death or implanted cardioverter defibrillators but less comorbidities than those not tested ( P < 0.001 for each comparison). At least 1 disease-causing variant was found in 41.7% of index patients with genetic testing (43.3% in HCM, 33.3% in DCM, 51.4% in ARVC and 42.9% in RCM, P = 0.13). This is the first detailed report on the real-life practice of genetic counselling and testing in cardiomyopathies in Europe. Genetic counselling and testing were performed in a substantial proportion of patients but less often than recommended by European guidelines, and much less in DCM than in HCM and ARVC, despite evidence for genetic background.

Update on lyssaviruses and rabies: will past progress play as prologue in the near term towards future elimination?

Rabies is an ancient, much-feared, and neglected infectious disease. Caused by pathogens in the family Rhabdoviridae, genus Lyssavirus, and distributed globally, this viral zoonosis results in tens of thousands of human fatalities and millions of exposures annually. All mammals are believed susceptible, but only certain taxa act as reservoirs. Dependence upon direct routing to, replication within, and passage from the central nervous system serves as a basic viral strategy for perpetuation. By a combination of stealth and subversion, lyssaviruses are quintessential neurotropic agents and cause an acute, progressive encephalitis. No treatment exists, so prevention is the key. Although not a disease considered for eradication, something of a modern rebirth has been occurring within the field as of late with regard to detection, prevention, and management as well as applied research. For example, within the past decade, new lyssaviruses have been characterized; sensitive and specific diagnostics have been optimized; pure, potent, safe, and efficacious human biologics have improved human prophylaxis; regional efforts have controlled canine rabies by mass immunization; wildlife rabies has been controlled by oral rabies vaccination over large geographic areas in Europe and North America; and debate has resumed over the controversial topic of therapy. Based upon such progress to date, there are certain expectations for the next 10 years. These include pathogen discovery, to uncover additional lyssaviruses in the Old World; laboratory-based surveillance enhancement by simplified, rapid testing; anti-viral drug appearance, based upon an improved appreciation of viral pathobiology and host response; and improvements to canine rabies elimination regionally throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas by application of the best technical, organizational, economic, and socio-political practices. Significantly, anticipated Gavi support will enable improved access of human rabies vaccines in lesser developed countries at a national level, with integrated bite management, dose-sparing regimens, and a 1 week vaccination schedule.

Genetic counselling and testing of adult patients with cardiomyopathies: insight from the EORP cardiomyopathy and myocarditis registry of the European Society of Cardiology

Abstract Introduction Cardiomyopathies comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases, often of genetic origin. Purpose We assessed the current practice of genetic counselling and testing of adult cardiomyopathy patients in the prospective ESC EORP cardiomyopathy registry. Methods 3 208 adult patients from sixty-nine centres in 18 countries were enrolled. Clinical data on genetic counselling and testing and on the presentation of cardiomyopathies were gathered. Results Genetic counselling was performed in 60.8% of all patients (75.4% in hypertrophic (HCM), 39.2% in dilated (DCM), 70.8% in arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC) and 49.2% in restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), p&amp;lt;0.001). Comparing European geographical areas, genetic counselling was performed from 42.4% to 83.3% (p&amp;lt;0.001). It was provided by a cardiologist (85.3%), geneticist (15.1%), genetic counsellor (11.3%), or a nurse (7.5%), (p&amp;lt;0.001). Genetic testing was performed in 37.3% of all patients (48.8% in HCM, 18.6% in DCM, 55.6% % in ARVC and 43.6% in RCM, p&amp;lt;0.001). Index patients with genetic testing were younger at diagnosis, had more familial disease, family history of sudden cardiac death or implanted cardioverter defibrillators but less comorbidities than those not tested (p&amp;lt;0.001 for each comparison). At least 1 disease causing variant was found in 41.7% of index patients with genetic testing (43.3% in HCM, 33.3% in DCM, 51.4% in ARVC and 42.9% in RCM, p=0.13). Conclusion We report on the practice of genetic counselling and testing in cardiomyopathies in Europe. Genetic counselling and testing were performed in a substantial proportion of patients but less often than recommended by European guidelines, and much less in DCM than in HCM and ARVC, despite evidence for genetic background. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

ESC EORP Cardiomyopathy Registry: real-life practice of genetic counselling and testing in adult cardiomyopathy patients.

AimsCardiomyopathies comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases, often of genetic origin. We assessed the current practice of genetic counselling and testing in the prospective European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme Cardiomyopathy Registry.Methods and resultsA total of 3208 adult patients from 69 centres in 18 countries were enrolled. Genetic counselling was performed in 60.8% of all patients [75.4% in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 39.2% in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 70.8% in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and 49.2% in restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), P < 0.001]. Comparing European geographical areas, genetic counselling was performed from 42.4% to 83.3% (P < 0.001). It was provided by a cardiologist (85.3%), geneticist (15.1%), genetic counsellor (11.3%), or a nurse (7.5%) (P < 0.001). Genetic testing was performed in 37.3% of all patients (48.8% in HCM, 18.6% in DCM, 55.6% in ARVC, and 43.6% in RCM, P < 0.001). Index patients with genetic testing were younger at diagnosis and had more familial disease, family history of sudden cardiac death, or implanted cardioverter defibrillators but less co‐morbidities than those not tested (P < 0.001 for each comparison). At least one disease‐causing variant was found in 41.7% of index patients with genetic testing (43.3% in HCM, 33.3% in DCM, 51.4% in ARVC, and 42.9% in RCM, P = 0.13).ConclusionsThis is the first detailed report on the real‐life practice of genetic counselling and testing in cardiomyopathies in Europe. Genetic counselling and testing were performed in a substantial proportion of patients but less often than recommended by European guidelines and much less in DCM than in HCM and ARVC, despite evidence for genetic background.

Chemotherapy use near the end-of-life in patients with metastatic breast cancer

IntroductionVery few data are available regarding the use of chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) near the end-of-life, i.e., the final month. The aim of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of its use in two different European geographic areas (Sweden and Greece).Materials and methodsWe retrospectively collected data regarding clinicopathologic characteristics, survival, and use of chemotherapy during the final 30 days of life using two sources: for the Swedish cohort, patients who were diagnosed with MBC in 2010–2015 were identified from the Stockholm-Gotland population-based Breast Cancer Registry and treatment data were collected using hospital charts. For the Greek cohort, patients with MBC were identified from hospital charts at two hospitals in Athens and Crete.ResultsIn the Swedish cohort, 1571 patients were identified; median overall survival was 16.96 months (95% CI 15.4–18.4). 23.2% of patients were treated with chemotherapy during the final month of life, with higher rates among patients ≤ 60 years (p < 0.001). Per OS monotherapy such as capecitabine or vinorelbine was most commonly used. In contrast, median OS in the Greek cohort (n = 966) was 49.8 months (95% CI 45.6–54.1) and 46.5% of patients received chemotherapy at the end-of-life, most commonly intravenous drug combinations. In multivariable analysis, age and albumin levels were statistically significantly associated with chemotherapy use in the Swedish cohort.ConclusionChemotherapy use near the end-of-life was common, which might negatively impact patient quality of life.

Do the socioeconomic context and the European geographical area modify parental influences on smoking experimentation among adolescents?

Adolescent smoking is a major public health problem. While the socioeconomic status (SES) of the neighbourhood and that of the family are known to play a role in smoking onset and progression, it is not clear whether it modifies the association between parental influences and adolescent behaviour. The purpose of this study is to investigate family correlates of adolescent smoking experimentation and to explore the modifying role of socioeconomic context and European geographical area in a sample of European adolescents. This is a secondary analysis of the baseline survey of the European Drug Addiction Prevention (EU-Dap) trial which took place in seven European countries and involved 7079 students. School SES was used as indicator of socioeconomic context. European countries were aggregated in two geographical areas: North-Central and South. The associations between parental, family factors, and adolescents smoking experimentation were analysed through multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression models, stratified by school SES and European geographical area. Parental smoking, permissiveness towards tobacco, family conflicts, problematic relationships, low connectedness, and low parental control were significantly associated with adolescent smoking experimentation. Paternal smoking was a stronger correlate of adolescent smoking in low SES schools, while maternal smoking in high SES schools. Parental permissiveness was a stronger correlate in low SES schools. Family conflicts and low parental control were correlates only in low SES schools. The associations did not substantially differ between European geographical areas, with the exception of parental smoking that was a stronger correlate in the North, and parental control that was a correlate only in the South of Europe. To reduce inequalities in tobacco-related outcomes, prevention efforts in low socioeconomic contexts appear to be a public health priority. Parental smoking, permissiveness, family relationships, and connectedness should be addressed in preventive programs.

Power and responsibility: Advertising self‐regulation and consumer protection in a digital world

AbstractWhile advertising self‐regulation is generally considered effective in a closed, largely country‐based system, the digital world in which we now live is an open and global system. This raises challenges for consumer protection from national regulators trying to enforce compliance from global media platforms, advertisers, and consumers. Applying the power‐responsibility equilibrium, this study explores who has the power and who has the responsibility for advertising self‐regulation in a digital world. In doing so, it takes an ethnographic approach, eliciting insights from 18 key stakeholders in the self‐regulatory process, across the three geographical areas of Europe, United States, and Asia‐Pacific. The findings highlight the need for more collaboration and alignment of self‐regulatory systems and build a framework for action through embedding responsibility, aligning standards, initiating processes, and improving outcomes. Six recommendations are offered to restore the balance of power and responsibility.

Geographical differences in heart failure characteristics and treatment across Europe: results from the BIOSTAT-CHF study.

Geographical differences may impact the treatment of heart failure (HF) and the results of clinical trials. We have investigated the differences between geographical areas across Europe in the BIOSTAT-CHF program. Patients with worsening HF enrolled in BIOSTAT-CHF were subdivided, according to the European geographical areas, into those from Northern countries (The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK), Central countries (Germany, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia), and Mediterranean countries (France, Greece, Italy). Patients were compared for baseline characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization. Among 2516 patients enrolled in BIOSTAT-CHF, 814 (32.3%) were from Northern European centers, 816 (32.4%) from Central European centers, and 886 (35.2%) from Mediterranean centers. Patients from Northern European centers were older, had more severe signs and symptoms of HF, and with lower incidence of non-cardiac comorbidities such as chronic kidney dysfunction, diabetes and, hypertension, compared to those from the Central and Mediterranean centers. Patients receiving ≥ 50% of the target dose of both ACE-I/ARB after the up-titration phase were higher in the Northern European centers compared with the other regions (60% versus 58.7% in the Central European centers and 46.5% in the Mediterranean ones; p < 0.001). The primary endpoint occurred at a higher rate in the Northern centers (44.3% versus 37.4% in central centers and 39.6% in Mediterranean centers; p = 0.014), this difference became non-significant after the adjustment for important confounders. Importantly, treatment up-titration reduced the event rates regardless of the geographical region (p for interaction > 0.05). The BIOSTAT-CHF study showed significant differences in the clinical features, treatment and prognosis in European patients with HF. Patients from the Mediterranean centers less often had the HF treatments up-titrated; however, the treatment up-titration benefited patients irrespective of their geographical region and should be part of the "default" clinical practice.

The Mediterranean Variety of Capitalism, Flexibility of Work Schedules, and Labour Productivity in Southern Europe

Sociology has long been used to highlight the existence of diverse institutional models between geographical areas of Europe in terms of work organisation. Based on this, we propose to compare the situation of four representative countries of southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal) with that of the rest of Europe, by addressing the number of hours worked and the flexibility of working hours as key elements of their institutional model of work organisation, as well as their impact on levels of labour productivity. Taking the model of the varieties of capitalism as a reference, this study compares the behaviour of the Mediterranean (southern) countries with other European regions. Indicators have been obtained from the 2010 and 2015 waves of the European Work Conditions Survey (EWCS) that include the number of hours worked, the flexibility in the hours of entry and exit, and the tendency to work the same number of hours per day. After comparing averages in both waves and applying linear regressions, the following conclusions have been reached: (1) Productivity in southern countries is on a par with the European average but far from the more corporatist and liberal (northern) areas; (2) the South maintains a high average of hours worked (above the European average) to compensate for the poor productivity of its hours; and (3) the incorporation of flexible schedules is associated with elevated levels of productivity.

Genetic diversity assessed by genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and for phenological traits in blueberry cultivars.

Blueberry is a small fruit crop which includes a complex group of different Vaccinium species of various ploidy levels. Commercial blueberries have been grown in Europe most recently, so there is not much information available about their adaptation into new regions. In this work we investigated adaptation to the environmental conditions of northern Spain, in terms of flowering and ripening seasons, of a set of 70 blueberry cultivars including several of the most important cultivated American species (V. corymbosum, V. virgatum, V. macrocarpon and V. uliginosum) in order to identify which types are best-suited in this geographical area of Europe. Most materials showed high chilling requirements for flowering under local conditions, while materials with low-chilling requirements showed problems in the maturation process of the flowers. Most cultivars were early or mid-season while a relative lack of late-season cultivars was observed. GBS was used for the analysis of genetic diversity in this sample of 70 cultivars. A total of 5255 SNP markers were obtained and a cluster analysis revealed three main groups associated with the ploidy level of the species. A Principal Component Analysis revealed a grouping of the V. corymbosum cultivars according to their chilling requirements. A total of 29 SNPs were identified as being highly informative for diversity analysis and potentially useful for cultivar identification and for breeding purposes. The results obtained from this research should contribute to the expansion of this crop, as well as providing data about genetic diversity useful for the preservation of genetic resources or for future breeding programs.

The role of birds in Late Pleistocene Eurosiberian-Mediterranean boundary reconstructions in Western Europe

Birds have been considered good climate indicators in Pleistocene environmental reconstructions, due to their current distribution and specific ecological requirements. They have been analyzed as associations and in some cases also as indicator species for the climate during the Late Pleistocene, which is a stage that shows strong climatic fluctuations. In this work we present an analysis of the relative abundances of thirty-three of these indicator species of Aves in Late Pleistocene Western European sites, in order to characterize the avian associations and bird species behavior, and also shed light on the corresponding ecosystems of the different geographical areas of Europe during this stage. Our analysis reveals four main groups of sites, which correspond mainly to the current biome distribution. Nevertheless, the position of some sites in the analysis is markedly different, revealing a drift southward of the Eurosiberian-Mediterranean boundary during the Late Pleistocene. The results also allow us to analyze the behavior of the various species, whose distributions seem to be controlled by the predominant vegetation in each area more than by the temperature. The different associations of each area suggest that Central Europe was forested or at least point to the presence of forest patches in this area at the end of the Pleistocene. They also reveal the need for avian association analysis instead of the use of isolated bird species to produce landscape and climate reconstructions.